With the Great Resignation happening in the North American workforce, many people are changing jobs and career paths. One of the things that a great deal of these career changers say that they are looking for is meaningful work. The pandemic caused many people to reevaluate their priorities. Moving forward, numerous workers say that they want to contribute their time and effort to a workplace that mirrors their values.
Ranking highly on most people's list of concerns is working for an organization where not only do they feel valued and included, but contributors from a wide variety of backgrounds and communities also feel included. They are looking for employers who are allies to diverse teams of workers. That is why the concept of allyship has become a hot topic when it comes to discussions of DEI – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – right now.
But what does allyship in the workplace really mean, and how can you recognize organizations that implement it effectively? Diversity and inclusion expert and author Sheree Atcheson describes an ally as “any person that actively promotes and aspires to advance the culture of inclusion through intentional, positive and conscious efforts that benefit people as a whole.”
Here is a look at some examples of what allyship looks like in a truly inclusive organization.
Everyone participates
Inclusive workplaces reap the benefits of the full contributions from their entire team. This is important because the wider the range of perspectives brought to the table, the stronger the decision-making process will be. However, if an employee feels marginalized or unwelcomed, they are more likely to withhold their perspective, to not speak up or contribute. This can be an issue particularly for BIPOC employees (Black, Indigenous, or People of Colour) in a mostly White environment or for members of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
Participating employers who practice allyship value genuine inclusion from a full range of perspectives. They will reach out to team members who may be feeling excluded to see how they can support them.
The team at the workplace consulting firm Change Catalyst calculated the real-world value of allyship last year. They found that people who have experienced discrimination in their careers are 1.8 times more likely to feel unsafe and 2.1 times more likely to feel they don’t belong in their organization. On the other hand, those people with identities are more likely to experience higher levels of discrimination say that they feel safe and like they belong in the workplace when they have allies.
Allyship counteracts marginalization. It gives organizations access to greater perspectives and more talent. So, there is a business case for allyship. But what is it?
The team at Change Catalyst identified the stages of allyship most people – and workplaces – tend to go through. Stage one is denial. This is the starting point before it becomes apparent that there is a problem and that more could be done to truly foster a diverse and inclusive workplace culture.
The Stages of Allyship
Denial – Before true allyship can begin, the culture must acknowledge that a change is needed. Denial is the phase before this awareness is realized. People in denial are content with the status quo.
Observing – The stage at which a person becomes aware that not every employee participates fully or feels as welcomed as they could be in the workplace culture. The realization that more could be done.
Learning – When someone seeks out more information and hear the stories and experiences of team members in a safe and welcoming environment.
Ally – After observing that there is an issue and hearing the accounts of people who may be marginalized in the workplace, an ally is motivated to take action.
Advocate - Advocates take a leadership role in ensuring all voices are heard. They use their influence and resources to help develop an environment where everyone can thrive.
Accomplice - Change Catalyst defines an accomplice as an ally who is willing to break the rules in order to help dismantle inequitable structures that might be in place. They do this not for their own benefit, but to help others.
Activist - This is the final and highest stage of allyship. Activists dedicate their lives to implementing behavioral and organizational change in the workplace.
The study found that only three per cent of people are active Deniers of allyship – that is to say, they are opposed to it. There are many more passive Deniers who are just not yet aware of the need for allyship nor how to take action to become an ally.
This means that more information is needed to spread awareness of issues of inequity, injustice, and exclusion in the workplace to build empathy and start the journey through the stages of allyship.
Awareness and empathy can spread.
New research from the University of Bath found that companies that actively implement strong inclusion and diversity practices may benefit not only from having more engaged and motivated transgender and non-binary (‘trans’) employees but also from bringing along colleagues who might otherwise have been reticent about supporting trans people openly.
“We found that when employees perceived they were working in a company or organisation with a strong diversity and inclusion climate, they were less able to demonstrate their reticence about inclusion and were potentially more willing to learn about allyship. In short, the practical framework, and leadership, around a company’s approach to allyship are key,” said study author Dr. Luke Fletcher.
Training pays off. Change Catalyst found that 93 per cent of people who work for companies that provide allyship training have at least one ally in their workplace. Those people who work at companies offering allyship training are more likely to be satisfied with their job as well as more likely to feel safe in their workplace.
Dr. Fletcher from the University of Bath explains, “Facilitating allyship in a company or organisation is not just a moral good that supports inclusion. It has a very strong psychological benefit for minority groups and helps them feel more engaged with their work, more loyal to their company, and more productive. Allyship is, essentially, a win-win for that person and their employer.”
Allyship can start small. Here are just a few small examples of how you can show your support for someone who may be feeling marginalized.
- Take note of how they talk about themselves and match the language they use to describe their own identity.
- Be sure to recognize the important religious and cultural holidays and events from all groups.
- Encourage participation from everyone on your team and reach out to support those who seem reticent to participate.
- Adopt the practice of non-judgmental dialogue for the exchange of ideas, stories, and experiences to generate empathy within the team and allow all voices to be heard.
The experiences of workers with unique identities, including race, ethnicity, gender, disability, age, and LGBTQ2S+ status, may be very different from the rest of a team. Creating an environment where all staff can be comfortable and achieve to their full potential benefits everyone, and this takes allyship. This means making efforts to show solidarity with individuals from potentially marginalized groups.
The end results benefit the individuals and the team overall and lead to an enviable company culture that attracts a broader range of talent in a tight labour market.
